Kurosaki Ichigo Substitute Arrancar
by Collector Zero
Summary: Based off Ch. 350 and continues onward: "Impossible.  I cut out your heart.  I shattered your horns.  So why do you still stand?  What are you, Kurosaki Ichigo?"  IchiHime RenRuki
1. Talking to Myself

Hey everybody! CZ here. This is my first story, so go easy on me. If not... go buy a kid's meal.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Bleach or any characters. If I did, Yoroichi would have a lot more screen time.

Speech:

"Regular Talk"

**"Hollow Talk"**

_"Important talk"_

_Thoughts/Important Battle objects or skills_

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><p>"<em>Help me Kurosaki-Kun!"<em>

Orihime's cry pieced through the haze Ichigo was currently fighting through. He opened his eyes a crack and saw her _Santen Kesshun_ surrounding him. His body wouldn't move as he tried to get up.

_She's calling_ _me_. _I can hear her._ Ichigo's thoughts all felt jumbled around, but this he was certain of. With what little strength he had, he willed his body to move, only to be denied again.

_Stand up. _He continued to try. Nothing wanted to move for him. His mind cried out to move, but his body would still reject the thought. The battle between Ulquiorra and Uryuu continued raging on before him. Ishida desperately fought with his remaining hand while Ulquiorra stood still and deflected all of his attacks. Ulquiorra glanced at Ichigo for a brief moment, eyes filled with only one saying: You will all die here. Without a second glance, he twisted his body in a full arc. His tail latched onto Ishida's leg and sent him flying through the air, landing at the edge of the pillar they stood on. At the same time, Ulquiorra brought out one more _Lanza Del Relampagueo_ and launched it towards Orihime.

Orihime stares at the oncoming attack with shattered hope. She lowered her head and let the tears fall freely as she reached out for Ichigo. "Please…please save me…Kurosaki-Kun."

One final thought crossed Ichigo's mind as he blacked out once again.

_**I WILL PROTECT HER…**_

0~0

Ichigo's eyes shot open and turned in every direction, only to find a familiar world of endless skyscrapers. Only something was different this time. The skyscrapers that once held strong structures in this world now looked withered and decayed. The once deep blue sky that reined over this world was now an empty black. No stars twinkled in the emptiness, although a light seemed to be coming from somewhere. That was when he noticed it; dim lights were glowing from every window on the skyscrapers. A chill that never appeared before in this world now encased Ichigo in an invisible, icy cloak.

**"Doesn't feel too good, does it?"** Ichigo pulled a 180 and stared the owner of the voice. Sitting in front of him was without a doubt his inner hollow. Leaning against the white _Zangetsu_ blade, the hollow stared at Ichigo with a look of absolute rage. **"Then again, no one ever said that comfort awaits them at Death's Door..."**

**"You screwed up, big time Ichigo,"** the hollow continued without waiting for a reply. **"When I gave you my power,"** the other Ichigo slowly stood and emphasized every word along the way, **"I told you to make good use of it."**

For some reason, Ichigo could not say anything. Along with the chill that surrounded him, the hollow's blazing gaze made his body rigidly fight against itself to do anything but listen and watch the inner being. The black _Tensa Zangetsu_ in his hands seemed weighed down by cement blocks. His instincts told him to fight, but his body would not follow the commands.

The hollow stood tall in front of Ichigo, pure bloodlust radiating off of his body. He took one step forward and the sky lit up for a moment. Ichigo instinctively lifted his arm against the light and was rewarded with a sharp object ripping through his abdomen. He felt the blood rise towards his mouth, but held it in, until his body was pushed backwards as a fist slammed into his face. Ichigo spewed the blood from his mouth and gasped for air. He opened his eyes wide and focused back onto the hollow in front of him.

**"I gave you my strength,"** the hollow seemed to pick up a playful tone as he vanished and reappeared next to Ichigo. He didn't even have time to move as the inner being grabbed the hilt of the white _Zangetsu_ and ripped it out of Ichigo's body. The spell over Ichigo's body broke at once and he sprang into action. Using _Shunpo_, he jumped behind the hollow and swung for his head. Without looking, the hollow brought his arm back and blocked the attack with his own blade. He turned his head sideways and gave Ichigo a smirk. The hollow gripped Ichigo's other arm and flipped him over his head, leaving Ichigo in a crosshanded lock, having a stare down with the hollow. The smirk quickly turned into a frown as the hollow screamed out, **"_SO WHY THE HELL ARE WE DEAD! GETSUGA TENSO!_"**

The blade began glowing in the hollow's hand. The raw Spiritual Pressure emitting off of it seemed to suck Ichigo deeper into the grip lock he was currently in. Within seconds, Ichigo was engulfed inside of the _Getsuga Tensho_. As the attack faded, Ichigo now stood all alone, a large gash now dripping blood from his chest.

**"Don't think I'm gonna go easy on you this time,"** the cool voice spoke out right near his ear. Ichigo tried to turn around, only to feel his entire chest blow out. He looked ahead of himself once more, now finding the hollow pointing at him from a distance, a _Cero_ now dissipating from his hand. Ichigo was surprised that his hollow knew _Cero_, but was even more surprised by the gaping hole in his chest that identically resembled the one Ulquiorra gave him. Ichigo stared down at the hole for a moment before he noticed that he was still standing. After all, his chest was just blown out _again!_ But oddly enough, no blood began to fall from the hole and no pain filled Ichigo's remaining body. Instead, he only felt a deep emptiness.

Ichigo shoved his _Zangetsu_ into the ground and stood tall, checking every part to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He then glared at the hollow in front of him, who was now looking away from Ichigo.

**"'Why don't I feel any pain? Why is this world like this? What happened to Old Man Zangetsu?' That's what you're thinking, right?"** the hollow asked. It wasn't really a question; it was a statement. Ichigo opened his mouth, only to have the hollow use _Sonido_ and jump directly in front of him. "**The reason for all of that is simple,**" the hollow pointed towards the hole in Ichigo's chest before adding, "**You _already_ died, and **_**everything**_** died with you. This world, **_**Zangetsu**_**…and me.**"

"…," Ichigo had no idea what to say to that. The hollow stayed silent for a long time before looking at Ichigo again. Ichigo in turn noticed that the hollow had changed as well. His hair was grown out to the small of his back, and in the center of his chest nestled the all too familiar hole of a hollow. His yellow eyes stared out at Ichigo in rage, disbelief, and… sorrow?

**"You failed…,"** the hollow gave a sarcastic smile and snickered, **"the King failed disastrously, and the horse is forced to suffer as well."** With another _Sonido_, the hollow ended up sitting back on the ground, leaning against the white _Zangetsu_ once more.

**"The reason you are still here is _because_ you died."** Ichigo got lost at this point, and the hollow chuckled before continuing.

"**You are at the crossroads of death. The line between human and spirit. This is where you go before you officially separate from your body and live on as a Spirit. Since we are still here, even after all that damage you've taken, that stubborn will of yours is trying to get us back." **The hollow paused for a moment to let Ichigo soak this in before he continued.

"**The real question is, what did you think happens now? You lost to Ulquiorra. Heh, that Battle Instinct of yours isn't all that great, is it Ichigo? Even if you beat him now, you would still have three others you have to deal with, each stronger than him. The way I see it, there is only one way that you can beat all of them..." **The hollow let the words hang in the air before he gave Ichigo a look of absolute excitement. His mouth twisted back into a sly grin as he held out his hand to Ichigo.

"**Become an Arrancar, Kurosaki Ichigo…**"


	2. Daydreams of Hollows

Hey everybody! CZ is back! I'm going to try to post up at least once a week. Look forward to it!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Bleach or any characters. If I did, we would already know which squad Ichigo's dad was captain of.

Speech:

"Regular Talk"

**"Hollow Talk"**

_"Important talk"_

_Thoughts/Important Battle objects or skills_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE! **

This chapter might confuse some of you. Any questions you have, I will try to explain at the end. For those who stay confused, please send me a review or a PM and I will reply ASAP.

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><p>"W-what the hell are you saying!" The words came out before Ichigo even thought of them. A cold sweat broke out over Ichigo's face as the hollow's grin turned into a sneer.<p>

**"Did you go deaf or are you just stupid?"** the inner being asked as he pulled his hand back and used it to grip the hilt of the white _Zangetsu_ blade resting behind him. **"I told you to become an Arrancar. That should be easy enough to follow."**

Ichigo couldn't find his voice. He stared at the hollow in front of him, and in turn the inner being glared back. The sneer was still evident on his face; however, the other Ichigo's eyes were another story. Hidden within the glare, sadistic glee burned brightly, egging the orange-haired Soul Reaper on. An image of Grand Fisher ripped through Ichigo's mind, cackling as he taunted Ichigo with a doll of his mother.

Ichigo's body moved on its own, pulling _Tensa Zangetsu_ back in a high arc. The world became mute as he swung out and _Getsuga Tensho_ broke free of the blade. It crashed hard into the side of the skyscraper they were currently on and continued towards the hollow. Said hollow lost his sneer, replacing it with a smirk. At the very last moment, he shut his eyes, allowing himself to be engulfed within the _Getsuga_.

The world around Ichigo burst with noise as the attack hit its mark. Ichigo's breath was ragged and his arms were shaking in rage. Smoke rose from the site of the attack, blocking his view of the hollow inside. He tightened his grip on_ Tensa Zangetsu_, but his arms continued to shake.

**"Heh, did I hit a nerve?" **Ichigo reacted instantly and swung around, crashing his sword into its white copy. At the end of the blade, the hollow was reeling back his hand, reaching out to his blade. Ichigo removed one of his hands from the hilt of his sword and pressed it onto the dull side of _Zangetsu_ just as the other Ichigo did the same. Both chanted the identical incantation as the swords began to glow. Black and white crashed against each other as the _Getsugas _burst from the two blades. The two attacked clashed against each, neither side giving an inch.

Ichigo focused his gaze on the hollow, who wasn't even trying to suppress a psychotic grin. Ichigo shut his eyes, and was rewarded with another blast from the past. Shrieker stood before him, laughing about tricking Yuichi's* soul into a parakeet. Shrieker began charging at Ichigo before his body started changing. It became thinner and thinner until he was human-sized. His mask started to shatter, revealing a head of electric-blue hair. All that remained of his mask was the right side of his jaw as Grimmjow took his place. Grimmjow brought his hand up and bit his finger. A _Grand Rey Cero_ began forming in his hand, preparing to shoot the Substitute down.

A flash broke Ichigo out of his memories as the two attacks started merging together. Both of them jumped away as the attacks fused and created a crater at the spot they were standing in only moments before. Smoke rose from the hole, obscuring Ichigo's view of his hollow. As his feet connected with the side of the building, Ichigo used the momentum and rocketed towards the smoke.

At that exact moment, the smoke began twisting into a tornado. In the eye of the whirlwind, the shadowed figure stood; a _Cero_ forming at its index finger. Ichigo thought nothing of it and brought _Tensa Zangetsu_ close to his body, preparing to block. That is, until he saw the hollow's face.

Pale white skin was complimented by black hair, although a hard shell covered the left side of his head. Green stripes spilled from his eyes downward. Ichigo's body seemed to ice over at the sight of the deathly blue-green eyes. The world of skyscrapers faded to black as Ichigo stared at Ulquiorra, their battle replaying throughout his mind. Ichigo tried to lift _Zangetsu_ into a block, only to feel weighed down again as Ulquiorra transformed into his first release. His haunting voice echoed through Ichigo's mind. "_I told you it's futile!"_

A dark mist quickly engulfed Ulquiorra. Within moments, his second release emerged from the haze; a fully charged _Cero Oscuras _in hand. Ichigo felt as if he was made of stone, trapped in the air with no possible way of escape. Ulquiorra's voice echoed once again through the air. "_Behold, Kurosaki Ichigo. This is the form of true despair_."

Ichigo, as quickly as his body would allow, reached up to pull on his mask. However, before he could actually put it on, Ulquiorra slammed his free hand into Ichigo's face. His fingers anchored into Ichigo's orange locks, keeping a firm grip on the young Soul Reaper.

**"Uh-uh. No using _my_ powers in this world." **Ichigo's eyes widened as Ulquiorra gave him a sinister grin. Ichigo blinked and found himself back in the skyscraper world. The hand that was squeezing his face was not attached to Ulquiorra, but instead to the inner hollow. In his other hand, the _Cero_ was shaking in anticipation.

**"Quit daydreaming Ichigo! After all, a king who fears his enemies," **his hollow started. The hollow's grip loosened and Ichigo felt himself being thrown into the endless sky. He managed to turn his body, preparing to fire off another _Getsuga_. The other Ichigo raised his arm, taking aim with the _Cero_ in hand. **"…Does not deserve to be king at all!"**

Just as the Cero burst to life from his hand, the hollow's arm shattered into white sand, disrupting the attack. Ichigo couldn't mask his shock as the hollow's right leg had the same result. The hollow, however, ignored his missing limbs and stayed focused on Ichigo. Ichigo landed onto the building with a small thud, never taking his eyes off the hollow.

Beads of sweat formed over his face and his breathing became irregular; probably the only time Ichigo had ever seen his hollow like this. _He is in pain_, Ichigo noted from the way he brought a shaking hand up to the area his arm once was. Standing off at the side, the white _Zangetsu _stood tall and independent, almost as if it were rejecting its master. The hollow's gaze followed Ichigo's towards the white blade. Once he realized what Ichigo was staring at, the hollow's heavy breathing stopped almost immediately. The young Substitute noticed the change and turned back to the hollow. His hollow's eyes stared out at the white _Zangetsu _with longing; emptiness filling a space that once held sadistic glee. His remaining hand twitched, as if it wanted to reach out towards the blade. Instead, his eyes hardened and his hand turned into a fist. His gaze returned back to Ichigo, now ignoring the sword that he and Ichigo had fought desperately for control over. He pursed his lips and spoke so quietly, Ichigo barely heard him.

**"It looks like our time together is up Ichigo."**

* * *

><p>Hey everybody! CZ here once again. Some parts of this chapter may confuse some of you. That's why I will now explain a few things, but before I do...<p>

*Yuichi is the name of the boy who had lost his mother to a serial killer. The killer came back as a hollow, AKA Shrieker, and told the boy that if he could run away for a certain amount of time inside the body of a parakeet, he would bring Yuichi to his mother. Twisted, I know. If you want more info, please watch the anime episodes somewhere between 4-10. It has Chad in it. Anyway, to explain this chapter:

In this chapter, Ichigo is fighting against his inner hollow. However, Ichigo keeps getting memories of hollows he once fought. That will be explained within the next 2 chapters. The scene where Ulquiorra appears before Ichigo is actually a figment of Ichigo's imagination. The truth is that Ichigo actually imagined that his hollow was Ulquiorra. The echoed voice parts were actual quotes from Ulquiorra. Thank you for reading and please continue to follow

'Kurosaki Ichigo Substitute Arrancar' CZ OUT! PEACE!


	3. Fear, Power, Memories

Hey everybody! CZ is back! I'm going to try to post up at least once a week. Look forward to it!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Bleach or any characters. If I did, that stick shoved up Byakuya's a** would be long gone.

Speech:

"Regular Talk"

**"Hollow Talk"**

_"Important talk"_

_Thoughts/Important Battle objects or skills_

**Author's Note!**

Hey... I've been feelin' down lately. No one is reviewing! Please try to bring it up by 5 reviews before next week.

Now for the real A/N. Work is starting to take its toll on me, so it is going to take a little longer to post up each week. Hopefully, I'll be back to normal by the time summer ends! So without further ado- *This Author's Note will self-destruct in... now"

* * *

><p>As the hollow said those mumbled words, three nearby skyscrapers shattered into dust. Ichigo turned to stare at the buildings, only to have a fist smash into his face. His body stumbled backwards a few feet. Just as he righted himself, the hollow threw himself at Ichigo, sending both of them tumbling over with the hollow on top.<p>

**"You are a really stubborn fool." **The hollow started resorting to punches again. Each one sent a spark of pain through Ichigo's body.

**"Why are you afraid? If you want to survive, I'll give you a hint. Become an Arrancar!" **The punches started picking up speed until Ichigo felt like he was being attacked by a Gatling gun. He managed to open his eyes a crack, only to be rewarded with a frightening sight. The hollow in front of him was laughing like a madman, not even paying attention to the cracking sound that got louder with every punch he threw. His smile was stretched out so far, but his eyes were now void of anything but rage and bloodlust. Cracks were ripping across his face, only adding to the psychotic image he was projecting. In every way, he truly looked like a hollow. A chill drove up Ichigo's spine as he looked at this monster before him; a monster that in every physical aspect resembled _him_. The hollow noticed his hesitation and stopped his fist mid-air.

**"That's it, isn't it? You're afraid of becoming like me," **the hollow brought his fist up to his face; trying to hide the insane cackle he was speaking through. It didn't take long before he lost control and started laughing hysterically. Ichigo had shut his eyes, not wanting to see that crazy smile spread across a reflection of himself. Ichigo felt the weight on his body get lighter and then a hard kick was delivered to the side of his head. His entire body felt sore, but it was fading. He opened his eyes and looked up at the hollow, who was now leaning all of his weight on-

**"_Zangetsu_ won't be there for you forever,"** the hollow emphasized every word as he stared down at the black _Zangetsu_, which now reverted back to Shikai state, he was now using as a crutch. Ichigo balled his fist repeatedly, only grasping air where the black blade once laid in his hand. The other Ichigo gave a slow sigh before looking over to the white copy standing only three feet away. **"I would know better than anyone else about that."**

Ichigo could feel his strength coming back. Slowly, but it surely was. The orangehead copied the hollow, holding his breath as long as he could before he let it out in a slow release. He focused his gaze onto the hollow, who continued to stare the blade with the same longing as before. Sand had started forming over the hollow's arm, but it stayed attached his body.

**"In the end," **the hollow turned back to stare at Ichigo, his eyes filled with pity. Ichigo couldn't believe that his inner being could actually show such an emotion. **"All you will have left is me."**

Ichigo was completely thrown off. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He couldn't say anything to the hollow. The inner being managed to give a small chuckle. Putting all of his weight on the sword, he brought his hand up and pointed to the sky. Ichigo followed the direction he was pointing and his eyes widened in disbelief.

The sky was no longer empty. A copy of _Hueco Mundo _hung upside down over Ichigo's head. Directly above him, Orihime was crying over his body. A distance away, Uryuu was fighting against Ulquiorra with only one hand.

**"Being stuck in this world is pretty boring. While in here, time goes slow. An hour in here is actually a few seconds in the real world, with the exception of normal time frames when I spend my time looking out at your world. Heh, an out of world experience has got nothing on this," **the hollow explained. Ichigo didn't look at the hollow; he was focused on the fight going on and his body lying a few feet away. Orihime's form was shaking over his body, her cries almost deafening compared to the ones of the violent scene nearby. Ichigo felt a sharp pang of guilt as he remembered her tears as he fought against Grimmjow. He vowed not to get hurt anymore, and there he was, lying underneath her with a copy of the gaping hole that currently lay in his chest.

**"I swore I would become the strongest,"** the hollow kept on speaking, ignoring everything that was going on above him. Ichigo, on the other hand, could not turn away from the fight. Fighting through the pain, he managed to sit up, never taking his eyes off the battle. Terror filled his body just as Ulquiorra launched Ishida through the air and prepared to launch a _Lanza Del Relampagueo_ towards Orihime.

"DON'T DO IT ULQUIORRA!" Ichigo shouted out, although he knew the fourth Espada couldn't hear him. Ichigo tried to move, but his body was firmly attached to the ground now. Time slowed down for Ichigo as Ulquiorra launched the attack at the now fully aware Orihime.

**"I swore that I would devour you and take your body," **the hollow seemed to be trapped in an endless cycle of words. Orihime only stared at the attack, not even putting up her _Santen Keshu_. Instead, she grabbed onto Ichigo once again, begging that he help her.

Ichigo lost it at that moment, screaming out, "I WILL PROTECT HER!" Five more skyscrapers shattered somewhere nearby. The attack was already halfway to Orihime. Ichigo's mind had gone blank. He shut his eyes, feeling the tears burning at the edges as images of Orihime's dead body broke what was left of his mind. At that moment, the hollow mumbled something that brought him back from the edge.

**"Even now, I still can't take _full_ control…"**

Ichigo's eyes shot open and stared as his body began to glow behind Orihime. Black reiatsu engulfed it and his body jumped in front of the crying girl. A red beam of light ripped through the haze and smashed into the energy lance. The following explosion sent up winds in every direction.

Ulquiorra actually jumped back at the feat that happened in front of him. As the veil was blown away, Ichigo could not believe what he was staring at. A new hollow had appeared on the battlefield. From the waist down, it wore tattered Soul Reaper clothes. Long orange hair flowed from a skull covered entirely by a mask. Stripes traveled over the eyes and two identical horns stood from the temples of the creature's head. A red mane covered the hollow's neck, wrists, and ankles. Ichigo could not help but stare in awe of the creature before him.

"K-kuro…saki…kun?" As the words fell from Orihime's mouth, Ichigo looked over at her. She still had tears falling from her eyes, but now she had a small smile on her face. That is, until the creature turned to look at her. Her skin turned almost as white as the hollow's skin, and her hopeful smile shattered.

Ichigo didn't understand what she meant until he looked further past her, towards his body. His blood went cold; his body was gone. He subconsciously reached towards the hole in his chest when he realized that the hollow had an exact copy. "I-is that…me?"

**"No," **the hollow's voice broke through Ichigo's daze. Ichigo finally looked back at hollow, who was now staring listlessly at the horned beast above them. His hair was covered in sand and half his shoulder had disintegrated: **"That is _us_."**

Before Ichigo could say a single thing, he felt an unbelievable amount of spirit pressure pushing down on his body. The hollow's grip on _Zangetsu_ loosened, and both of them fell face first into the ground. The pressure made Ichigo's muscles scream in pain; even the slightest twitch sent him into an indescribable agony.

"What are you?" Ulquiorra's voice echoed throughout the inner world, grabbing Ichigo's focus once again. All at once, an animalistic roar sent a shockwave throughout the inner world, destroying all of the remaining skyscrapers except their own. As the roar dissipated, so did the spirit pressure. Both Ichigo and the hollow lay there silently for a few more seconds before both struggled to sit up. Ichigo breathed heavily for a moment before forcing himself to look up at the battle.

What he saw shocked him. His body had _Zangetsu_ in one hand and was forming a _Cero_ in between its horns. Ulquiorra was missing an arm, charging towards the hollowfied body with another _Lanza Del Relampagueo_. At last second, Ichigo's body reached out and pushed the attack upwards with its free hand. The energy lance flew from Ulquiorra's hand and jumped over 30 miles from the battle. From a distance, a gargantuan explosion broke across the horizon.

**"Amazing, isn't it?"** The hollow's tone caught Ichigo's attention. **"That is only a fraction of our power, but,"** Ichigo looked at the hollow, whose eyes had now become grave. **"Can you claim this strength Ichigo?"**

Ichigo stayed silent, only turning his gaze back towards the battle. Although, the moment he saw it, his head snapped all the way up. Ulquiorra had used _Sonido_ to escape from Ichigo's body. However, somehow, the horned hollow had used _Sonido_ as well and slammed Ulquiorra into a nearby wall. As he tried to free himself, Ichigo's body grabbed at Ulqiorra's throat and pushed him deeper into the wall. Ulquiorra was now hanging by the hollow's hand, staring pointblank into a fully charged _Cero. _

"I see. Showing no mercy. How very hollow-like." His words brought Ichigo to his feet screaming out, "STOP!" However, Ichigo stared in horror as his body released the _Cero_, causing a far greater explosion than the _Lanza_. Ichigo glared down at the hollow and yelled, "What the hell did you do that for!"

The inner hollow stuck his pinky finger into his ear, twisting it around as if digging for something. When he was done, he looked at his hand for a while with absolute boredom before he spoke. **"I already said it. I haven't taken full control."** After feeling satisfied with staring at his hand, he replaced his gaze with Ichigo. **"Right now, your and my wills are raging against each other, fighting for control. My rage and power is mixing in with your body and mind, making this 'thing' we've turned into act like that. This proves one thing though..."** the hollow looked away with a face full of hate. **"No matter what I do, I can never take your body."**

The young Soul Reaper just stared at the hollow until he yelled at Ichigo, **"Just close your eyes! You can still see the real world when your eyes are closed, so long as you focus. Plus you're giving me a headache when you keep twisting your head up and down."**

Ichigo's eye began twitching in annoyance, but he listened to the hollow. He shut his eyes and was now seeing the battle behind his eyelids. He felt his teeth grind in his mouth as the smoke cleared up, showing Ichigo's body, holding the small remaining parts of Ulquiorra's body that were trying to regenerate. It threw the remains a fair distance away, and slowly started walking towards them.

**"Ichigo,"** the hollow called out. Ichigo opened his eyes and saw the solemn expression on his face. Before he continued, he shifted his body so he was sitting straight up. More of his body had become sand now. His hair was noticeably shorter and his remaining foot had disintegrated as well. **"Now is the only time you can make a decision. I don't know if Ulquiorra has any strength left, but if he manages to stop us in that form, neither one of us is coming back. If you don't answer soon, our body might do something that we can't take back." **

The substitute stared at the hollow for a moment, thinking he was insane. The hollow saw his skeptic stare before continuing. **"I can tell you are afraid. Afraid of becoming a savage monster like Grand Fisher or me. But are you willing to let everyone else die because of that fear?"**

Ichigo hated to admit it, but the hollow was right. He was afraid, but he did not want everyone to die. **"But then again,"** the hollow continued, **"if you _do_ become an Arrancar, I won't lie and say that everything will be ok. If you manage to defeat Aizen, I won't say that things will ever be the same again. The people you love might fear you, and might even scorn you. It is all up to you what happens next."**

He surprised himself as he started to think about it. Flashes of his family and his friends popped into his mind all at once, each of them looking at him with hatred.

**"You might want to hurry. The real world is not looking so good." **Ichigo shut his eyes and stared in horror as his body was now standing over Ulquiorra's remains, pointing _Zangetsu_ directly at his throat. The only thing stopping it was the firm grip Ishida had on his wrist. Ishida's voice rung into his ears.

"Stop Kurosaki! If you do this, you won't truly be human anymore!" Ichigo's body swung out and thrust the blade hilt deep into Ishida's stomach. Keeping a firm grip on the hilt, Ichigo's body pressed his foot into Ishida's ribcage and pushed, pulling out _Zangetsu_ as Uryuu was sent flying. Orihime's cry made Ichigo reopen his eyes, sweat now lightly covering his body.

The hollow just stared at Ichigo, not showing any emotion, only waiting. Ichigo's mind thought back to his dad and sisters. Then to Keigo and and Mizuiro. Then to Uryuu, Chad, and Tatsuki. Rukia, Renji, and the other Soul Reapers. Yoruichi, Urahara, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu. Finally, his mind settled onto Orihime. Her weird eating habits, terrible jokes, and her even weirder hobbies. His mind slowly ended up at a memory of her smiling at him during a sunset, calling out his name. Then he remembered Orihime's words to him as he fought Grimmjow. _Please don't get hurt anymore_. He didn't understand why, but a warm feeling settled over Ichigo's being and he made a decision.

"I'd rather my friends be afraid of me then seeing them dead. And anyway, I won't become a monster like Grand Fisher or you. As long as I remember what I'm fighting for, I will never give in." The hollow gave Ichigo a familiar smirk.

**"Good answer! But let's see if you're really up for it."**The hollow held out the black _Zangetsu_, blade pointing towards the hole in Ichigo's chest. Ichigo noticed the posture and almost laughed. He knew what he would have to do.

**"Once you do it, you and I will no longer be separate halves. Our spirits will join and become one soul, just like how we started out,"** the hollow gave a conniving smile before adding, **"but don't think I'm gonna give up on taking your body. I will find a way."**

Ichigo walked up to the hollow and grabbed the edge of the blade. His memories kicked in once again, remembering the day Rukia turned him into a Soul Reaper. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

As he drove the blade home like he did when he became a Soul Reaper, a certain orangeheaded girl smiled at him one more time in his mind, giving him one final thought.

_I will protect her..._

0~0

Orihime ran as fast as she could. Ichigo was charging another _Cero_, aiming it towards Uryuu. Orihime heard the hollow continue to chant the same thing again and again. **"I will protect her."**

"Please stop Kurosaki-kun!" She was now standing directly in front of Ichigo with her arms raised up at her sides, trying to stop him. Ishida was screaming at her to move away, but she only focused on the empty eyes of her masked love before her. Tears welled up in her eyes as images of Ichigo raced through her mind, finally settling at the night she almost kissed him . "Please come back to me Kurosaki-kun."

The hollow made no sign of hearing her except for the chanting that stopped at the sound of her voice. The _Cero_ started to brighten, ready for release. The young healer stared in shock, however, as a familiar bat shape jumped from the hollowfied shinigami's shadow and sliced off his left horn. The _Cero _lost control and exploded right there, shattering the substitute's mask into tiny fragments. As the Soul Reaper fell to the ground, Orihime felt her body fly through the air and land by Ishida. When she looked up, she saw Ulquiorra standing over an unmasked Ichigo with a _Cero Oscuras _in hand.

"If I didn't kill you right now, maybe I would be the one lying on the ground," he said in his monotone voice. Orihime cried out for him to stop, which he did not bother to acknowledge. Just as he was going to release the _Cero_, a blade found its way to the base of his throat.

"Who is lying on the ground right now?" an all too familiar voice teased. Ulquiorra couldn't mask his surprise as his _Cero Oscuras_ vanished. He felt an unnatural chill spread over his body as he turned his head towards a head of orange hair.

"Impossible. I cut out your heart. I shattered your horns. So why do you still stand? What are you, Kurosaki Ichigo?" The orange head stayed silent for a moment, not doing anything. Then he slowly raised his head and stared directly into Ulquiorra's blue-green eyes with golden brown. A smirk was stretched across his face and his eyes were locked onto Ulquiorra.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," the boy said in a voice filled with a humor that was not there before.

"Arrancar"


	4. Ignored Truth

Hey everybody! CZ is back! I'm sorry for the wait. For anyone who cares why, please read the first author's note. Thanks a lot for sending me your comments. I asked for 5, and I got 8! Within the first two days I might add! Thanks again! ON WITH THE SHOW! XD

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Bleach or any characters. If I did, that stick Yamamoto always carries would go up his a**. At least then he would have a reason for being such a d*** to everyone.

Speech:

"Regular Talk"

**"Hollow Talk"**

_"Important talk"_

_Thoughts/Important Battle objects or skills_

**Author's Note!**

Still here? Ok then. Basically, I had massive writer's block and procrastination. I could not think of anything good to write, and I got too lazy to think. That is how the first two weeks went. I wanted a vacation, and I got it. However, during that time, I continued to go on my computer. I messed up pretty big when my computer got a virus. Along with that, I've had my computer for more than 6 years now. We all decided that it was time to move on. After saying my goodbyes, I finally got rid of it. So the point is that I do not have a computer at the moment. I wrote this chapter from a library. I had a time limit for every use, so it became spanned across many days. Until I get a replacement computer, I will be having problems posting up. I will continue to work hard so that I can give you the best story I can. It will just take a little longer until further notice.

**Please read before reading chapter!**

For anyone who wants a lot of action from this chapter, don't bet on it. This chapter is my first attempt at a few things, such as really minor comedy and my very first attempt at a minor fluff. Don't expect much. Flames will be allowed. If you liked this chapter, it would boost my esteem to hear about it.

* * *

><p>Both the boy and the hollow stood there for what felt like an eternity. Blood had started to bubble around <em>Zangetsu<em> and drip down Ulquiorra's neck. Said hollow had regained his calm composure, but inside, he felt uneasy at this new predicament.

The two onlookers just stared at their friend in awe. Neither of them had noticed Ichigo's movements at all. Ishida, however, focused more on what his ally had just said.

_Arrancar? What is he saying?_ The Quincy thought to himself. It was at that moment that he realized that the girl beside him had gone silent. Turning to look at her, he noticed that her hands hung loosely at her sides. Sitting up on her knees, the healer was staring at the orange-haired Soul Reaper with tears running down her face. Her skin had turned pale and her lips were parted slightly as if releasing a final breath.

"Inoue-san?" Ishida called out to her. Her only acknowledgement to him was the slightest twitch in her fingers. Her mind seemed to be focused on something else entirely. After a moment, she finally whispered something only he could hear.

"Kurosaki-kun…"

"What do you mean by that, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Ulquiorra asked the question on all of their minds. The humor in Ichigo's face vanished, quickly being replaced with a look of confusion.

He brought his free hand up to his chin in a 'Thinker' posture and seemed to lose focus. Ulquiorra took that chance and tried moving parts of his body. He had taken heavy damage from the hollowfied Ichigo. Most of his vital organs were gone and they weren't coming back. Ulquiorra felt the blade at his throat move very slightly, giving him the opportunity he needed.

Charging up a _Lanza_, he gripped it tight in his hand and swung free of Ichigo's ensnarement. He turned around, now using the _Lanza_ as a sword, and prepared to strike.

"Were you always this slow?" Ichigo's voice teased from behind. Ulquiorra froze in place and slowly turned his head. Ichigo had his back towards him and stood with his sword lying on his shoulder. The blade stretched out so long that the tip rested on the Arrancar's own shoulder. The young Soul Reaper turned his head sideways as well and gazed back at the fourth Espada with stare of indifference.

_Impossible. How did I miss at such a close range?_ Ulquiorra asked himself. It was at that moment that Ulquiorra finally noticed an empty feeling where his arm was. Taking a quick glance, his eyes widened in shock as he realized his arm was now gone.

"Are you looking for this?" the orangehead asked. Looking back at the Substitute, he felt his unease rise as the Soul Reaper brought his free hand up, now clutching the hollow's severed arm in its fingers. His severed arm was still holding the _Lanza_ within its grasp. Ichigo's indifferent frown transformed into a confident smirk, and he began to shake the arm gently as if he were taunting the Espada. Then, without warning, he threw the arm high into the air.

Ulquiorra stared in silence as the Soul Reaper pulled his blade up from his shoulder and swung. A _Getsuga _burst from the sword and shot through the air towards the arm. As the attack connected, a green light scattered through the air and a humongous explosion followed. Winds erupted from the blast with such force that the two on looking humans felt their bodies leave the ground. A scream began to form at Orihime's lips, only to be quickly silenced as an arm enclosed around her waist, keeping her from flying off.

Looking down at the arm, she moved her gaze upward and found strands of hair on her shoulder that were not her own. Taking a desperately needed breath, she turned her head as far back as she could. The first thing she noticed was the wild mane of bright orange hair that was whipping around the person's face, hiding it from view. Only for the briefest of moments did she find a set of chocolate brown eyes that were boring into her. She felt the color in her skin return tenfold as her cheeks began burning red.

"Are you ok, Inoue?" The person spoke out in the familiar low voice that teased her in her dreams. Her heart began to hammer against her ribcage in a way that only occurred around this person.

"Would you like to pull me down now Kurosaki?" another familiar voice almost screamed, breaking Orihime's trance. Both orangeheads' heads spun towards the voice and found Ishida at the end of Ichigo's other hand; the Soul Reaper's fingers wrapped tightly around theQuincy's ankle to keep him from flying away. The boy stared at his companion for a moment before a smile etched onto his face.

"Sure thing Uryuu," Ichigo declared. Bringing his arms back towards his body, he pulled the already flustered Orihime closer into his bare chest, causing her to redden even further. With his other arm, he swung it outward, resulting in Ishida crashing into the ground face first. Orihime felt her body jump at the sound of skin connecting with cement. The wind finally subsided and the world grew silent.

Both teenagers stared at their ally lying on the ground, looking for any indication of movement. Ichigo used his foot and began poking at the boy on the ground. It only took a second before the Quincy jumped up and glaring at the Soul Reaper through a pair of cracked glasses.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!" Uryuu demanded. The orangehead raised an eyebrow and frowned at his friend.

"What? You asked me to put you down; so I did," he stated matter-of-factly. Ishida's face turned almost as red as Orihime's, who was just staring at the boy who was _still_ holding her.

"I COULD HAVE DIED!" the Quincy continued to yell. At that sentence, the Substitute's frown transformed into an innocent grin.

"But you didn't, and that's all that really matters. No thanks will be necessary. Just remember that the almighty Quincy was saved by a disgusting and lowly Soul Reaper," Ichigo said in rebuttal. Ishida almost turned purple as he tried to speak again, only to be cut off by a soft voice.

"Um," Orihime muttered. Both boys turned to look at the girl who was still trapped in Ichigo's grasp. She had a confused and empty look on her face as she stared into the eyes of the Substitute. "Are you…really Kurosaki-kun?"

The boy holding her did not say anything for a moment; only scanned her face for any specific emotion. Seeming to get the answer he wanted his features became gentle as he continued to stare. "Yeah. I'm back, Inoue."

Said girl felt more tears fall from her eyes as she cuddled as close as she could to his chest; hope now filling her entire being. "Kurosaki-kun…" Neither boy said anything as she wrapped her small arms around his body, coming to a rest on his shoulder blades. In her mind, nothing could ruin this moment. Unfortunately, someone found a way.

"I will ask you once again, Kurosaki Ichigo," Ulquiorra finally spoke up behind her. The young healer had forgotten that he was there, watching all of them with that indifferent glare. She didn't dare turn her head to look at him. She felt she could continue to be safe in her love's arms. "What did you mean by calling yourself an Arrancar?"

At that question, the auburn haired girl froze in place. A chill went up her spine as she remembered what Ichigo had said earlier.

_"Ichigo Kurosaki. Arrancar."_

Orihime brought her head back up and stared at the boy holding her. Half his face was hidden in a veil of long, brightly colored hair. The remaining half of his face that was shown was staring at the Espada with an unreadable emotion. She lowered her gaze to his chest and felt an indescribable terror cascade over her body. Lying in the center of his chest, the large crater from before was still there. Her heart jumped into her throat as she continued to stare. Her body subconsciously began to shake as she looked upward towards Ichigo's face.

"K-kurosaki-kun?" Her voice came out as a plea, begging him to look at her. Ichigo seemed to ignore her if he heard. Instead, he put both of his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away from him as gently as he could. Finally, he turned his gaze towards her and gave her a saddened smile.

"Listen up Inoue," the boy started. "I need you to heal Uryuu. Make sure he gets his hand back. Whether you run away or put up _Santen Keshu_ is up to you. Just make sure you're not close enough to get hurt."

The healer had no idea what to say. She looked over his face, trying to find something in his expression that would tell he was joking. It was at that moment that she noticed that something white was sitting on the right side of his head, behind his temple. She squinted her eyes to get a closer look. Realization struck her hard as she discovered what it was. A fragment of his mask lay on his head, right above his orange locks. The hole in the center of it turned out to be the right eye of a hollow mask. The black lines scrolling across it was proof enough of that it was a memento from his other form. As if it weren't bad enough, the right eye also had an attachment to it. It didn't take a genius to figure out that is was one of his hollow form's horns, now snapped halfway, leaving what looked like a broken blade on his head.

A single tear managed to spill down her face before Ichigo's hand stopped it at her cheek. She turned her gaze back to his face and found the warm brown eyes she adored staring back. "I am going to repeat what I said to you before," he muttered only loud enough for her to hear. He brought both hands up to cup her cheeks. Ichigo only followed instinct as he began running his thumbs over her cheeks. Orihime couldn't help but feel her cheeks warm up at his touch. So many thoughts were swimming through her head; each ready to burst open and confuse her already unstable mind.

"You're safe now. I know I don't have the right to say that when I look like this. But I'll say it anyway. You're safe now," Ichigo recited word for word from right before the battle with Grimmjow. Orihime's eyes widened at the recollection. Before she could say anything, he brushed her aside, only to have her wrist caught. She broke her gaze from the Soul Reaper-now Arrancar-and found Ishida staring at her.

His eyes seemed sad, as if pitying her. He took a firm grasp of her wrist before looking over at Ichigo. The Quincy and Ex-Soul Reaper stood and stared at the other, each expressing a different emotion.

"Make sure you survive this time," Ishida said without emotion. The orange haired Arrancar nodded once before turning back towards the Espada. Uryuu began to tug Orihime away from the battlefield with great effort. The auburn haired maiden kept her eyes on the Substitute as she was dragged away. A light breeze blew up, causing his hair to shift enough so that she could see his hole from behind. From the back, she could clearly make out the horn and the red mane that erupted from his neck. As she continued to look at her love, dread filled her heart with the truth she dared to ignore.

0~0

"Are you ready to tell me what you meant, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Ulquiorra asked, now having regenerated another arm. Ichigo glared at the hollow before him with sadness once again.

"You're the one who gave me the hole," he stated as he pointed at the crater in his chest. "I thought that would be enough for you to guess the truth."

The Espada narrowed his eyes for the briefest of moments, but Ichigo noticed anyway. He pulled _Zangetsu_ from his back and sunk it into the ground in front of him. He sighed loudly and ran a hand through his long locks. "Look, whether or not you believe me is all up to you. That's not going to change the facts. I know you're almost done."

The Espada's eyes widened; no longer hiding any emotion. "You are right. I know I will not survive this battle, no matter the outcome. However," the Espada broke off as he lowered his body so that all his limbs were planted on the ground. "I am still strong enough to kill you before that happens."

Ichigo shut his eyes and thought of his inner hollow. He remembered how the inner being burst into sand during their battle. "I had to sacrifice something in order to get another chance." The inner being slowly faded from his mind, but was quickly replaced by all his friends and family, each of them smiling at him. His eyes shot open and he grabbed the wrappings of _Zangetsu_. He pulled of the fabric, causing the blade to pop out of the ground. He began to swing the material around, causing the blade to whirl around in the air like the blades of a saw. The fabric wrapped around his arm soon afterwards, causing the blade to finally stop and for the hilt to land in his hand. "I don't plan on wasting it."

Neither of them made a move. Ichigo shut his eyes and breathed slowly. Behind his eyelids, Orihime smiled at him and stretched out a hand to him. A single sentence echoed through his mind. _I will protect her._

Ulquiorra noticed when Ichigo shut his eyes. Pushing back on his legs and stretching out his wings, he rocketed towards the younger Arrancar. His hands came together in a clap, charging up another _Lanza_.

In Ichigo's mind, more hands began to stretch out towards him. In moments, the hands became connected to his family, each welcoming him warmly. More hands stretched out, each coming from a friend from school or from Soul Society. A bright light burst through his mind and each of them vanished. Only one hand remained. The hand stretched out seemed more faded compared to the others, but a warmth filled this one like no other. A kind face wrapped in bright locks of hair smiled at him and whispered, _Ichigo,_ _my little protector_.*

Ichigo's eyes burst open and he brought his blade up as a shield in front of him. Ulquiorra had just finished charging up and jumped off the ground. He was now soaring down towards the new Arrancar, detest clearly written on his face. Remembering the final face, Ichigo prepared for the blow and screamed out.

"I WILL PROTECT THEM!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

Finally! I finally finished the fourth chapter! During the final paragraphs of the chapter, I used * to symbolize something I may have to explain. And here it is.

*In this chapter, someone called Ichigo their 'little protector.' I am not sure if I got it exactly right, but to anyone who is a Bleach Head like myself, it should be clear that it is Ichigo's mother. Ichigo would always cry as a kid, but would smile around his mother no matter what. His mother told him that his name meant 'Protector,' causing him to want to protect everything...including a certain doll a hollow used as a lure.

Ichigo's mom (seriously, someone get me a name):

R.I.P.


End file.
